New mandate?, Kantipur - Nepali Times

From The Nepali Press
New mandate?, Kantipur

FROM ISSUE #549 (15 APRIL 2011 - 21 APRIL 2011) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Nepali Congress General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi is of the opinion that the present Constituent Assembly has lost its relevance and that parties need to seek a "fresh mandate". He made this comment at a program organised by the Press Union, Parsa.

"The CA has failed to draft the constitution. So there is no point in extending its term. The alternative to the present mandate is another mandate and the alternative to the CA is another CA," he said. He cautioned that this was his "personal opinion" and not the official line of his party but suggested that Nepali Congress and the Madhes should be ready for a new mandate.

1. jange

Remind me.

Why did we need a NEW constitution? What was it about the last one that couldn't be amended to suit the need of the day?

Posted on: 15 APRIL 2011 | 2:08 PM NST

2. who cares
simply perfect time to coup (by president)

president from madeshi,

general from indigenous

CJ from indigenous

just perfect.

Posted on: 15 APRIL 2011 | 5:13 PM NST

3. SS
Nepalese people will not answer you Jange. They know that they tried to fix something that wasn't broken. Now Nepalese have nothing left.

Posted on: 15 APRIL 2011 | 7:53 PM NST

4. Chanakaya
Extension of CA term meaning less Nation will turn to Somalia.. The balance move is army rules (Presidential rule) . In totality since two decade corruption surge to maximum , no rule of law exist. key leaders are manipulators can't bring the nation on track.
CA's are now national parasite and not working for public interest.If JN Khanal will wisher of Nepali People his cabinet should recommend for Presidential rule. this may open the fate of Nepal and Nepali.

Posted on: 18 APRIL 2011 | 4:22 PM NST

5. John M. Kelleher

Thank you, Jange and SS, for hitting the nail on the head. The Constitution of 1990 wasn't scrapped because of any specific flaws. Lest we forget, there was no debate at the time on the matter whatsoever. No, it was scrapped because an unreformed [and unreformable] terrorist movement demanded its unilateral abolition as the price of peace.

Nepal's supposedly democratic parties gave way and, in the name of restoring democracy, proceeded to run roughshod over the very principle of liberal constitutional democracy itself. Now, Nepalis are faced with the stark reality that their leaders have nothing credible or coherent to offer in place of the old constitution.

Whether a further extension is granted to the current train-wreck CA or a "fresh mandate" is sought for a new legislative body, Nepal's party leaders are not going to experience a sudden epiphany of constitutional inspiration. The complete ideological bankruptcy of the "Naya Nepal" experiment has been put on public display, and people are taking notice.

Posted on: 19 APRIL 2011 | 12:26 AM NST

6. who cares
there were flaws in previous constitution (constitutional monarchy).

one of them was it was not fool proof especially when that fool had power, above the law and a gun.

one perfect eg-

those who knew the meaning of the constitution knew the constitution. but those idiots, let me talk about the one in particular filled with pot smoke in his brain, some called him crown prince- his pot head did not get it (and also his daddy lord).

if you remember, that pot head insulted a police officer and asked the meaning of "shree paach ko sarkar (his majesty's govt.)" with the officer. "who is that majesty in the term "his majesty's govt." (something like that).

Posted on: 20 APRIL 2011 | 7:41 PM NST

7. John M. Kelleher

>> "there were flaws in previous constitution (constitutional monarchy)."

This is the sort of discussion that needed to have been given full and exhaustive coverage in a public forum at the time, rather than the unilateral action which the antidemocratic Interim Legislature took by scrapping the constitution entirely [in January 2007] or by writing-in an interim declaration of a republic as an amendment to the Interim Constitution [in December 2007] simply to mollify a band of unreformed terrorists.

Constitutional monarchy of the Westminster variety is one of the most successful political models on the planet, and can be a valuable steward for a developing democracy. This is a debate which deserves more serious consideration than the vague and inaccurate characterizations given above.

Posted on: 21 APRIL 2011 | 9:43 PM NST